to politics—think American Revolu-
tion—and from economic beverage to
profound symbol rather seamlessly.
For our purpose here, let us speak
about the camellia sinensis tea plant
in particular.
How is tea an art?
The art of tea is a broad topic and has
roots in traditions of the East as well
as the West. One culture among many
that has contributed greatly to the
artform of tea is China. They have
invested more than a thousand years
of human resources in developing
the growing, processing, and serving
of tea. One way the Chinese describe
the art of tea is “gongfucha” or “tea
skill.” The term “gongfu” carries heavy
weight in the Chinese language, as
it has in its layered meaning words
like mastery, patient effort exercised
over time, and an overall sense of the
profound approach a person takes
towards their chosen craft. Gongfucha
can be a skilled form of brewing tea,
and it can even imply an entire life-
style of attunement and balance that
the server endeavours to embody.
P e a c e R i t u a ls
Serving tea with purpose
B y K enneth C annata
T
ea seems so simple a thing. For
most people it is as elementary
as taking some time to come
back to our senses, or to share an
uncomplicated moment with some-
one. Those are both valid and lovely
28 IMAGINE l Spring 2017
approaches yet tea is also quite the
philosophical endeavor, and along its
path lay many aspects of humanity.
Tea as a medicine had its genesis with
the indigenous cultural wisdom of
China and meanders from agriculture
This is the way I strive to ap-
proach tea. It is through serving tea
with great care and sensitivity that I
have had the overwhelming joy of cre-
ating meaning for myself and others. It
is akin to the way a masterful musi-
cian guides you to some fabled realm
through the performance. Tea has this
potential to whisk us away from stress
and into ease. It is in that place that we
may find inspiration together.
Communication over tea
That has become abundantly clear to
me is that the ritual or artform of tea